Effort part of permanent financing for
Peoples acquisition
Aqua America Inc. (NYSE:WTR) today announced it has
commenced concurrent public offerings of approximately $1
billion of its common stock and $725 million of its tangible
equity units, with a stated amount of $50 per unit. The offerings
are part of securing the permanent financing to close Aqua’s
acquisition of Peoples Natural Gas, first announced in October
2018.
Aqua intends to grant the underwriters in the common stock
offering a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $150
million of its common stock. Aqua also intends to grant the
underwriters in the tangible equity unit offering an option to
purchase, within a 13-day period beginning on, and including, the
initial issuance date for the tangible equity units, up to an
additional $109 million tangible equity units.
The common stock offering and tangible equity unit offering are
separate public offerings made by means of separate prospectus
supplements and are not contingent on each other or upon the
consummation of the previously announced pending acquisition of
Peoples Natural Gas.
Each tangible equity unit will consist of a prepaid stock
purchase contract and an amortizing note due April 30, 2022,
each issued by Aqua. Unless earlier settled or redeemed, each stock
purchase contract will automatically settle on April 30, 2022
(subject to postponement in limited circumstances) for shares of
Aqua’s common stock. The amortizing notes will pay equal quarterly
cash installments that will constitute a payment of interest and a
partial repayment of principal. The amortizing notes will have a
final installment payment date of April 30, 2022 and will be
unsecured senior obligations of Aqua.
Aqua intends to use the net proceeds from these offerings,
together with the net proceeds from future debt financings, which
may include the issuance of debt securities and/or borrowings under
its bridge facility, and proceeds from a private placement of
common stock, to (1) fund the acquisition, (2) complete the
redemption of approximately $314 million aggregate principal amount
of certain of Aqua’s outstanding notes and (3) pay related
costs and expenses.
If for any reason the acquisition is not consummated, Aqua
intends to use the net proceeds from these offerings for general
corporate purposes, which may include the redemption of certain of
Aqua America’s outstanding notes or other securities issued in
connection with the planned future debt financings, repurchases of
Aqua’s common stock, debt repayment, capital expenditures and
investments. For example, if for any reason the acquisition is not
consummated, Aqua may redeem all, but not less than all, of the
outstanding purchase contracts that are components of the tangible
equity units, in which case, Aqua would pay a redemption price at
that time in cash or shares of common stock in accordance with the
terms of the purchase contracts. If Aqua elects to redeem the
purchase contracts, it may be required by the holders thereof to
repurchase the amortizing notes at the repurchase price set forth
in the amortizing notes.
Aqua’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol “WTR,” and Aqua has applied to list the
tangible equity units on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol “WTRU.”
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Merrill
Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Morgan Stanley
& Co. LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC are acting as
joint book-running managers for the common stock offering. RBC
Capital Markets, LLC, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Merrill Lynch,
Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Morgan Stanley & Co.
LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC are acting as joint
book-running managers for the tangible equity unit offering.
The offerings of common stock and tangible equity units
(including the component stock purchase contracts and amortizing
notes) are being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration
statement on Form S-3 filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Each offering may only be made by means of the prospectus
supplement relating to such offering and the accompanying
prospectus. A preliminary prospectus supplement related to each
offering has been filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC’s
website. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement for each
offering and the accompanying prospectus can be obtained by
contacting Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, 200 West Street, New
York, New York 10282, Attention Prospectus Department; RBC
Capital Markets, LLC, 200 Vesey Street, 8th Floor, New York, New
York 10281-8098, Attn: Equity Syndicate.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be
any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which
such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to
registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such
state or jurisdiction.
About Aqua AmericaAqua America is the second-largest
publicly traded water utility based in the U.S., and serves more
than 3 million people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina,
Illinois, Texas, New Jersey, Indiana and Virginia.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
StatementsThis release contains forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995, including, among others: the terms of the common stock
offering and the tangible equity units offering, the terms and
timing of additional offerings or borrowings to be made by Aqua
America to fund the Acquisition and the anticipated use of proceeds
from these offerings. These statements involve risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially,
including, but not limited to, the ability to price and to satisfy
customary closing conditions with respect to the offerings,
prevailing market conditions, and the impact of general economic,
industry or political conditions in the United States or
internationally. There are important factors that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied
by such forward-looking statements including: general economic
business conditions; changes in regulations or regulatory
treatment, including a change in federal tax policy; availability
and access to capital; the cost of capital; disruptions in the
credit markets; the ability of the company to successfully close
and integrate the Acquisition; and other factors discussed in Aqua
America’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, which was filed with the SEC
on February 26, 2019 and Aqua America’s Current Report on Form
8-K/A, which was filed with the SEC on April 15, 2019. For more
information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Aqua
America's business, please refer to Aqua America's annual,
quarterly and other SEC filings. Aqua America is not under any
obligation - and expressly disclaims any such obligation - to
update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise.
WTRF
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190415005223/en/
Brian DingerdissenInvestor RelationsO:
610.645.1191BJDingerdissen@AquaAmerica.com
Stacey HajdakMarketing & CommunicationsO: 610.520.6309M:
267.294.1866SMHajdak@AquaAmerica.com
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